Thermal valve with safety lock



July 8,1958 c. w. WOOD THERMAL VALVE WITH SAFETY LQCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed May 6. 1954 FIG. 5 7

INVENTOR.

cHARLEs w. wooo BY Z H\5 ATTORNEYS July 8, 1958 c. w. WOOD THERMAL VALVEWITH SAFETY LOCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 6. 1954 FIG."

INVENTOR. CHARLES W. WOOD BY 2 Q g HIS ATTOIZNEY5 United States Patentfiice 2,842,317 Fatented July 8, 195.8

THERMAL VALVE WITH SAFETY LOCK Charles W. Wood, Lebanon, Ohio, assignorto Standard- Thomson Corp, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of DeltawareApplication May 6, 1954, Serial N0. 427,926

6 Claims. (Cl. 236-34) This invention relates to a thermal responsivefluid controlvalve. The invention relates particularly to a thermostaticfluid control valve for the cooling system of an internal combustionengine; however, the invention is not so limited in that it may beapplied to other types of fluid systems. The invention relates stillmore particularly to theinventionidisclosed in my copendingapplication'Serial No. 358,059, filed on or about May 28, 1953, nowPatent No. 2,777,638, for Valve.

When an internal combustion engine is operating satisfactorily, athermostatic fluid control device positioned within the cooling systemregulates the temperature of the engine by governing the flow of fluidwithin the'cooling system'and thus controlling the temperature of thefluid within the cooling system. The cooling system of the engine issodesigned'that under normal operating conditions the cooling system canretain the temperature of the engine at a predetermined value.

When defective operation occurs in an internal combustionengine,-the{result oftentimes is that theengine begins -to-heatexcessively. -When this excessive heating occurs, the fluid in thecooling system is heated excessively anda thermostatic control valve,which is positioned in the cooling system of the internal combustionengine, is caused to open to the greatest extent to permit the greatestamount of circulationof cooling fluid within-the cooling system.Frequently when this condition occurs, thecooling system is unable toproperly cool theengine even though the greatest amountof fluidcirculates'within the cooling system. Therefore, the fluid ofthe-cooling system also heats excessively and the thermostatic fluidcontrol valve is heated to a very high temperature. Frequently, the veryhigh temperature to which the thermostatic control valve isheated-causes considerable damageto the thermostatic valve and thethermostatic valve does-not operate properly. The thermostatic valvemaybe so injured or damaged that it is forcedto a closed position eventhough the temperature of the cooling fluid is very high. When theclosing action of the damaged control valve occurs, the circulation ofcooling fluid, which is assisting to some'extent in cooling the engine,is completely shut off so that the temperature of the enginefurtherincreases causing greater damage to the internal combustionengine.

Therefore, it may be understood that a very desirable .thermostaticfluidcontrol valve is one which is provided with fail safe means or, in otherwords, with means by which it will remain fully open after it is soactuated'by extremely high temperatures within-the cooling system of theengine. A desirable fail safe fluid control valve for engines is alsoone which remains fully open when damage occurs to the valve. Whenthe'greatest amount of circulation withinthe cooling system ispermitted, when the engine is heating excessively, greatest protectionto the engine is therefore provided.

Hence, an object of this invention is to provide a thermal-responsivefluid control valve which has means by which thecontrol valve is held inthe extreme open position after conditions have caused the valve toopento such an extent.

Another object of this invention is to provide a thermal responsivefluid control device which fails safe and remains open even thoughdamaged by excessive temperatures.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fluid control devicewhich is small in sizeand compact.

Another object of this invention is'to provide, a thermo static controldevice which, under normal operating conditions, has durability and longlife.

Another object of this invention is to provide a thermal responsivefluid control valve which has a minimum number of parts and which may beassembled and produced at low cost.

Other objects and advantages reside in the construction .of parts, thecombination thereof and .the mode of opera- Figure l is a sideelevational view of a valve of this invention.

Figure 2 is a sectionalview taken substantially online 2-Z of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of a thermal responsive control valve ofthis invention.

Figure 4 is a bottom view of thefluid control device, 7

Figure 5 is a sectional view,,simil ar to Figure 2, showing the positionof the elements of the device during response of the device to anincrease in temperature.

Figure 6 is a sectional view similar to Figure 5 showing the position ofthe elements of the device when the device is subjected to such a hightemperaturethat the valve lockingmeans retains the valve in openposition.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view with parts shown insubstantially the same position as in Figureo after the device has beensubjected tofa very high temperature and has then been permitted tocool.

Figure 8 is a bottom view showing the preferred modification of thethermostatic fluid control valve made according to this invention. 7

Figure 9 is a side elevational view, with parts shown in section,showing the preferred modification of the loclfout means of thisinvention with the valve in closed po sition.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary side elevational view, similar to that ofFigure 9, showing the movable valve member in an open position.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary side elevational view. similar to that ofFigure 10 and showing the movable valve member in the locked openposition.

Referring to the drawings'in detail, 'the'valve of this .-inventioncomprises a body member 10 provided with an annular flange portion 11having an outwardly extending annular projection 12 normal thereto.'An'inwardly extending rib 13 of the flange 11 terminates in ananvnular. valveseat 14 having afluid port=therethrough. At- ;tached tothe inwardly extending rib 13 and positioned V onone, side surfacethereof is an arcuately formed bridge member 15 which is attached ateach end thereof to the inwardly extending rib 13. The arcuatelywfor-med.bridge member 15 comprises an elongate U-shaped mema rod member 17having a threaded portion18. Extending from the other surface of therib, 13 substantially parallel to the flange 11 are a pair of supportarms 19 attached at one end thereof to the rib 13 ,Theother end of thepair of arms 19 supports an annular guide ring 20 which is rigidlyattached to the ends of the arms 19.

A movable valve member 26 is urged toward engagement with the valve seat14 by means of a helical spring 28. One end of thehelical spring 28encircles the guide ring 20 and abuts the arms 19. The other end of thehelical spring 28 engages the movable valve member 26.

Attached to the movable valve member 26 and substantially concentrictherewith is av casing or container member 30 having an upper enclosingwall 31. The construction of the container member 30 with the contentstherein is similar to the container and contents disclosed in mycopending application Serial No. 333,707, filed on or about January 28,1953, now Patent No. 2,806,375.

The container 30 is provided with an aperture in the upper enclosingwall 31 thereof through which the rod 17 slidably extends into thecontainer 30. An elastic body member 34 within the container 30 has aflange member 36 which engages the upper enclosing wall 31. The lowerend of the elastic body member 34 abuts an end wall 37 of the container30 which is opposite the enclosing wall 31. The rod 17 is positionedwithin an elongate hole 38 within the elastic body 34. The elongate hole38 extends a portion of the length of the elastic body 34. Alsopositioned within the container 30 is an expansiblecontractible material40 between the inner side walls of the container 30 and the elastic bodymember 34.

During normal operation, the movable valve member is continuouslyactuated by the expansive material 40 to such a position with respect tothe valve seat 14 that the circulation of fluid within the coolingsystem of the engine is properly regulated. Thus, the temperature of thecooling fluid in the cooling system is properly controlled. As disclosedin my copending application Serial No. 413,787, for Thermal ResponsiveDevice, filed on or about March 3, 1954, now Patent No. 2,806,376, thevolume of expansive material within the container 30 with respect to thevolumetric capacity of the container 30 is so adjusted that the movablevalve member 26 begins to open at a predetermined temperature. Thistemperature is called the opening temperature of the thermal responsivefluid control device.

When the thermal responsive device is subjected to temperatures at orabove this value, the expansible material 40 expands. The expansion ofthe expansible material 40 causes high pressure to be exerted upon theelastic body member 34 so that the rod 17 has a great amount of pressureexerted upon it through the elastic body 34. The pressure exerted uponthe rod 17 by the expansion of the expansible material 40 tends to closethe hole 38 within the elastic body member 34 and thus tends to move therod 17 with respect to the container 30. Due to the fact that the rod 17is firmly attached by means of the threaded portion 18 thereof to thearcuate bridge 15, the rod 17 cannot move. However, the container 1 30issecured only to the movable valve member 26.

Therefore, upon expansion of the expansible material 40, the container30 moves downwardly carrying with it the movable valve member 26 whichis attached thereto. During normal operation the greatest extent ofmovement of the movable valve member 26 is substantially the positionshown in Figure 5. The movement of the container is guided by theannular guide ring 20.

A lock spring member 50, comprising a single resilient wire, has twoends 52 thereof inserted through a pair of apertures in one of thesupport arms 19 adjacent the rib 13. The two ends 52 of the lock springmember abut the flange member 11 causing the other portions of thespring 50 to be resiliently positioned, as shown in Figure 2. A hook orshoulder 54 of the lock spring 50 is formed adjacent an arcuate portion53 and is adapted to receive the movable valve member 26 upon extrememovement of the movable valve member 26.

This extreme movement of the movable valve member 26 is, of course,caused by subjection of the thermal responsive valve to temperatureswhich are greatly in excess of normal. When the temperature of thethermal responsive device increases greatly above normal, the

.expansible material 40 within the container 30 causes '4 the movablevalve member 26 to continue to move away from the valve seat 14.

When the movable valve member 26 normally moves to an open position itmay engage the lock spring member 50, as shown in Figure 5. However,when abnormal engine operation excessive heating thereof occur, themovable valve member 26 opens so very greatly and moves so far from thevalve seat 14 that the movable valve member 26 moves past the arcuateportion 53 and is engaged by the shoulder 54 of the spring 50 as shownin Figure 6. Such abnormal operation of the engine is usually indicativeof serious trouble within the engine.

Such abnormal temperatures may increase to such an extent that thethermal responsive valve may be injured and damaged and the movablevalve member 26 may be forced to close by spring 28 even though thetemperature is excessively high. Therefore, in order to provide the bestpossible protection for the engine, the spring member 50 locks themovable valve member 26 open so that the greatest amount of coolingfluid may be permitted to circulate through the port formed by the valveseat 14.

After such excessive temperatures occur within a cooling system of anengine that a thermostatic valve of this invention locks open, as shownin Figure 6, it is usually necessary to perform repair work upon theengine. The operator of the engine or the mechanic should determine thecondition of the thermostatic valve and should reset the movable valvemember 26 to normal operating position by removing the movable valvemember 26 from the shoulder 54 if the thermostatic valve is not damaged.The operator or mechanic can perform the inspection and resetting of thevalve by opening the cooling system to make the thermostatic valveaccessible. If the movable valve member 26 is not reset to normaloperating position and the engine later operates satisfactorily, the

movable valve member 26, being locked open, permits full circulation ofcooling fluid and the engine does not operate at the proper temperature.This low temperature of engine operation should indicate to the operatorthat something has occurred in the engine performance to warrantinspection of the engine and the thermostatic valve. The movable valvemember 26 is retained in a .wide open position, as shown in Figure 7,and the expansible-contractible material 40, being cooled, releasespressure from the elastic body member 34 so that the elongate hole 38within the elastic body 34 will be partially unoccupied, as shown inFigure 7.

If the operator has been unaware of the excessive temperatures in theengine, the abnormal cool running of the engine later causes him toinspect the thermostatic valve and the engine to determine the cause ofthe trouble.

- Therefore, it may be understood that the thermal responsive fluidvalve of this invention fails safe and assists in the protection of theengine even though the thermal responsive fluid valve has become damagedby a defec tive condition within the engine.

In Figures 8, 9, 10 and 11, a preferred modification of the thermalresponsive fluid valve of this invention is shown.

The lockout spring of the preferred modification is substantially thesame as the lock-out spring of the preferred embodiment. The preferredmodification is provided with a pair of support arms and 62 which aresimilar to the support arms 19 of the preferred embodiment. The supportarm 60 is provided with a pair of slots 64 adjacent the guide ring 20.These slots 64 retain and guide the movement of a lower portion 65 of alock spring 66 which is similar to the lock spring 50 of the preferredembodiment. The lock spring 66 has an engaging shoulder 67 similar tothe shoulder 54 of the spring 50.

Thus, when the lock spring 66 is engaged by the movable valve mcmber 26,as shown in Figure 10, the portion of the spring 66 adjacent the rib 13bends. The lower portion 65 of the spring 66 does not move in adiasses-1'7 rection away from the container Silasdoes ,the lowerportion' of the spring 50, but the lower portion .65 of ,the spring ,66moves ina directiouparallel to the longitudinal axis of the container30, as best shown in Figure 10. Therefore, when the movable valve member26 moves to such an extent that it is engaged by the shoulder 67 of thelock spring 66, the movable valve member 26 is firmly an rigi y retainedin -lo:ekedopen .pos'ition.

As stated with respect to the preferred em'bodimenttof this invention,the extreme movement of the movable valve member 2 6 to such apositionthat it is engaged by the shoulder 67 of the lock spring 56 occurs onlyupon very abnormal conditions. Ordinarily the movable valve member,vduringnormal .operation of the thermostatic =device, moves between its.closedposition and the position in which it slightly contacts thespring 66. It will be understood that .thelockspring .which retains themovable valve member 26 in open position need not necessarily be shapedor formed as shown in the figures, but any othersuitable resilientmember also maybe applied.

Although the preferred embodiment of the device has been described, itwill be understood that within the purview of this invention variouschanges may be made in the form, details, proportion and arrangement ofparts, the combination thereof and mode of operation, which generallystated consist in a device capable of carrying out the objects setforth, as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a fluid control valve comprising an annular valve seat memberprovided with an annular flange extending therefrom, a plurality ofsupport members attached to the valve seat member and extending oneither side therefrom, a movable valve member engageable with the valveseat member, a casing member having rigid end walls attached to themovable valve member, a guide member attached to one of the supportmembers, the guide member extending around the outer periphery of thecasing member adjacent thereto, a body of elastic material within thecasing member contacting opposite end walls of the casing member, anexpansive material within the casing member engaging the body of elasticmaterial, a rod member attached to some of the support members, the rodmember slidably extending through one of the end walls of the casingmember contacted by the body of elastic material, the rod member havinga tapered end extending into the body of elastic material, resilientmeans engaging the movable valve member and the support members to whichthe guide member is attached, the resilient means urging the movablevalve member toward the valve seat member, and a spring member attachedto the valve seat member and having an end thereof abutting the annularflange, the spring member extending between the casing and one of thesupport members, the spring member having a shoulder portion in the pathof movement of the movable valve member so that the movable valve memberengages the shoulder portion of the spring member upon extended movementof the valve member, the movable valve member thus being retained inopen position.

2. In a fluid control valve comprising a valve seat having a flange atthe periphery thereof and extending normal thereto, a pair of supportarms attached to the valve seat and extending therefrom, the arms havinga juncture at a position disposed from the valve seat, a movable valvemember disposed between the valve seat and the juncture of the arms andengageable with the valve seat, thermal responsive actuating meansattached to the movable valve member, one of said support arms having anaperture therethrough, a spring member extending through said apertureand resiliently engaging the flange, the spring member having a portionthereof resiliently extending toward the juncture of the arms, and ahook member on said portion of the spring memher, the hook memberextending into the path of move- "6 ment of the movable valve member andadapted to retain the movable valve member in open position.

3. A thermal responsive fluid control device of the type provided with abody member havinga valve seat forming a fluid port, arnovable valvemember engageable with the valve seat to close the fluid port, thermalresponsive means attached to the movable valve member for movingthemovable valve member into closedposition and into open position inresponse to variations in temperature of the thermalresponsive means,support means attached to the body member, guide means attached to thesupport means for guiding movement of the movable valvemember, thecombination comprising a springmember extending through the supportmember and engaging the body member, the spring member being provided,withta shoulder for engaging themovable valve member to retain themovable valve member in open position, whenrthe temperature to which thedevice is subjected reaches a predetermined abnormal value.

4. ;A fluid control valve comprising a valve seat member, an annularflange 'memberwattached to the valve seat member substantially normalthereto, support members attached to the valve seat member and extendingon either side of the valve seat member, a movable valve member adaptedto abut the valve seat member, a casing having rigid walls attached tothe movable valve member, a body of elastic material Within the casingabutting opposite portions of the casing, an expansive materialsurrounding the elastic material, a rod member positioned within theelastic material and slidably extending through a wall of the casing,the rod member being attached to one of the support members, guide meansattached to one of the support members for guiding the movement of thecasing member, and an elongate resilient wire member having its two endsextending through one of'the support members and engaging the flange ofthe valve seat member, the midportion of the wire being positionedadjacent the last said support member, the wire being provided with ashoulder for engagement of the movable valve member to retain the valvemember in open position.

5. A fluid control valve of the type provided with a housing memberhaving a valve seat defining a flow passage and a linearly reciprocableflow control member, the combination including a movable valve member, acontainer member having solid end walls attached to the movable valvemember, an elastic body within the container engaging opposed end wallsthereof, one of said solid end walls engaged by the elastic body havingan aperture therethrough, an elongate hole within the elastic bodyextending a portion of the length thereof and aligned with the apertureof the end wall, a rod slidably extending through the aperture of theend wall and into the elongate hole of the elastic body, a plurality ofsupport arms attached to the housing member and extending therefrom, therod being attached to one of the support arms, a guide member attachedto another of the support arms for guiding the movement of the movablevalve member, and a resilient locking mem ber loosely attached to one ofthe support members, said support member being provided with a notchslidably retaining a portion of said locking member, the locking memberbeing provided with a shoulder resiliently disposed in the path ofmovement of the movable valve member for retaining the movable valvemember in open position.

6. In a fluid control valve comprising an annular valve seat memberproviding a fluid flow passage therethrough, a flange attached to saidvalve seat member, a pair of support members attached to the valve seatmember and extending in the direction of fluid flow through the Howpassage formed by the valve seat member, a second pair of supportmembers attached to the valve seat member and extending therefrom in adirection opposite the direction of fluid flow, a movable valve memberengageable with the valve seat member and movable against the directionof fluid flow during opening movement of the movable valve member, acasing member attached to the movable valve member and provided with arigid apertured enclosing wall adjacent thereto and parallel therewith,a guide member attached to the second pair of support members andsubstantially concentric with the movable valve member, the guide memberencircling the outer periphery of the casing member adjacent thereto, abody of elastic material within the casing member contacting oppositeend walls of the casing member, an expansive material Within the casingmember engaging the body of elastic material, a rod member attached tothe first said support members, the rod member slidably extending intothe casing member through the apertured enclosing wall of the casingmember, the rod member having a tapered end within the body of elasticmaterial, a helical spring encircling the casing member and the guidemember, one end of the helical spring engaging the movable valve memberand the other end of the helical spring engaging the pair of supportmembers to which the guide member is attached, and a resilient wirespring member having the two ends thereof extending through one of thesecond said support members and engaging the flange of the valve seatmember, the wire spring member being provided with a pair of parallelshoulder portions within the path of movement of the movable valvemember, the pair of shoulder portions engaging the movable valve memberupon extreme movement thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS619,346 Rice Feb. 14, 1899 1,709,473 Harde Apr. 16, 1929 2,356,958Wangenheim Aug. 29, 1944 2,704,944 Hughes et al. Mar. 29, 1955 FOREIGNPATENTS 573,672 Germany Apr. 4, 1933

